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Poorly pig with a chest infection

I

ImmyH

Junior Guinea Pig
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Hi all,

Hoping for some advice about my 3 and half year old sow, Petal.
I noticed on Friday that her breathing was quite laboured so we took her to the vet yesterday (Saturday).
Vet has diagnosed a chest infection and prescribed antibiotics. Petal isn’t sneezing or gurgling, and she doesn’t have any discharge around her nose and eyes. Sadly, she is withdrawn and not her usual self.
We started antibiotics yesterday and since then she hasn’t wanted much veg. She is still eating lots of hay. I think that although her breathing seems a bit better, she is more withdrawn since starting the antibiotics. Has anyone else ever experienced this?


The vet has given us tablet antibiotics so we have been crushing that up and sprinkling it on food for her. This is sort of working but it is a challenge!

This is the first time any of my pigs have been ill, and it is very distressing. The vet seemed quite optimistic, but it is heartbreaking to see her unwell.
Has anyone had a pig recover fully from a chest infection?

Thank you in advance
 
I don’t know if I should try mashing up some pellets or other food, sprinkle the antibiotics in and try syringe feeding.
 
Hi, I am very sorry to hear that Petal is unwell but it sounds like you have caught it early

What are the antibiotics you have been given? Some antibiotics suppress the appetite but it’s good she’s still eating hay

Weigh her daily why she isn’t well and be prepared to step in a syringe feed her if you notice she is losing weight

I hope Petal feels better soon x
 
Please weigh to daily weight checks to monitor hay intake. This is the only way to be sure a piggy is eating enough hay - watching them eat it is incredibly deceptive.
The need to breathe comes first so with a poorly chest they find it hard to breathe and consequently you drop hay intake.

I’ve never had to give tablets - I’ve always been given an oral suspension.

I hope she is ok
 
Claire W said:
Hi, I am very sorry to hear that Petal is unwell but it sounds like you have caught it early

What are the antibiotics you have been given? Some antibiotics suppress the appetite but it’s good she’s still eating hay

Weigh her daily why she isn’t well and be prepared to step in a syringe feed her if you notice she is losing weight

I hope Petal feels better soon x
Click to expand...
Thank you for your reply.
She has been given roxanan but it is a struggle to get her to eat anything with that sprinkled on.
At the moment, all she really wants is hay or lettuce. Breathing does seem a bit better though 🤞
 
ImmyH said:
Thank you for your reply.
She has been given roxanan but it is a struggle to get her to eat anything with that sprinkled on.
At the moment, all she really wants is hay or lettuce. Breathing does seem a bit better though 🤞
Click to expand...

Piggies have a huge number of tastebuds so this is why sprinkling medication on food is usually the worst way to try to give it to them. They taste it, wise onto it and then refuse to eat their food.
Mixed with syringe feed is going to be much easier.

i don’t think that’s a medication I’ve ever heard of before though
 
Could you crush the tablet and mix it with a little syringe feed and syringe if to her? She probably will not eat it willingly crushed on to food

It’s good her breathing is a little better x
 
Piggies&buns said:
Piggies have a huge number of tastebuds so this is why sprinkling medication on food is usually the worst way to try to give it to them. They taste it, wise onto it and then refuse to eat their food.
Mixed with syringe feed is going to be much easier.

i don’t think that’s a medication I’ve ever heard of before though
Click to expand...
Hi,
Unfortunately the vets didn’t have any liquid antibiotics available to give to her. Completely agree, it has not been easy to get her to eat it, poor baby.
Thanks for the suggestion of syringe feeding. Will see if she eats her carrots and if not, will give that a try.
 
When I had to give tablets last year the vet advised not to sprinkle on food as bits drop off and they don't take a full dose. I was told to either crush and mix in syringe food or water. As I was syringe feeding anyway I gave it in the food.
Good luck, I hope piggy gets well soon.
 
I too would go the route of mixing and syringing it so you know how much she's had. Hope she gets better soon.
 
Hi

Please crush the tablets and mix with either a very little water (followed by some feed to wash away the taste) or with a very little syringe feed to ensure that all is going in.

Ronaxan is a doxycycline based brand name; which is an antibiotic that is often used against chest infections.

In guinea pigs, doxy can often wipe out the appetite so please step in with weighing daily first thing in the morning on your kitchens scales for best day to day comparison and how to plan the support for the next 24 hours. This in addition to a more serious respiratory infection impacting on the appetite because it comes only third behind the need to breathe and then the need to drink. Also make sure that you offer water regularly (but do not squirt it just in) if the appetite is impacted.

Just watching your piggy eat can be very deceptive. The poo output is always running about a day or even two behind the input. It can tell you what has been going on in the gut but it cannot give you up to date feedback. Daily weighing at the same time is your most important monitoring tool.

Please take the time to read the links below. You will find them very helpful with lots of practical how-to tips as well.
Weight - Monitoring and Management
All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures
 
My piggie Smokey 🌈 was on tablet antibiotics, I used to soak the tablet in 5ml water and then suck it all up the syringe, he hated the taste so it was a battle to get him to take it but I found that the easiest way.
 
Freya1234 said:
My piggie Smokey 🌈 was on tablet antibiotics, I used to soak the tablet in 5ml water and then suck it all up the syringe, he hated the taste so it was a battle to get him to take it but I found that the easiest way.
Click to expand...
Thank you! Luckily she is enthusiastically tucking into her celery which is a huge improvement from last night. Will let you know how I get on mixing with water and syringing it into her mouth.
 
Update: after a bit of persuasion, I managed to get her to have some antibiotics dissolved in water. Syringed it in. We had a cuddle and she does seem a bit brighter - she was even swearing at Juniper in the next cage!
Thank you so much for the advice and kind words. She is not out of the woods yet but I am so relieved she has had a full dose.
 
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